Coming Out follows young filmmaker Alden Peters on his journey coming out gay, capturing everything on camera as it happens. This groundbreaking coming of age film places viewers directly inside the raw, intimate moments when Alden reveals his true identity to his family and friends, ranging from the painfully awkward to the hilariously honest. A story bridging generations and societal divides, this award-winning documentary makes us rethink what it means to live an honest life, ultimately leading us to a place of understanding and acceptance of oneself and one’s community.

ABOUT

When Alden Peters searched for a film that showed the process of coming out, he found nothing but fiction. Every coming out story was told in hindsight, and nobody discussed what happened immediately after coming out. He wanted to see that entire process. As he began planning how he would come out to his family and friends, Alden decided to make the film he wanted to see.

Coming Out is personal and subjective, but also includes the voices of an entire family, friends circle, and LGBTQ community. Instead of feeling like an academic social issue film, it’s fast-paced and relatable to a young digital audience.

Crowdsourced videos from LGBTQ youth from around the world add a broader scope, which complements the depth of Alden’s own story. Originally these would be used in a montage at the end of the film, but the content was astoundingly powerful. Many of the submitted videos are used throughout the film, becoming their own scenes.

Alden also speaks to author Janet Mock, developmental psychologist Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams, journalist Zach Stafford, sociologist Greg Hinckley, and YouTuber Kayla Kearney. The film acts as a framework for LGBTQ youth to pay attention to digital community and issues larger than themselves. It’s also an accessible resource for families of LGBTQ youth and those unfamiliar with the LGBTQ experience.

It turned out people around the world wanted the same documentary to exist. Production for the film was funded with a grant from the Alan Landsburg Documentary Fund, as well as two successful crowdfunding campaigns. Hundreds of supporters from around the world have rallied to bring the project to life.

During both our crowdfunding and video submission campaigns, thousands of readers from around the world read about our film, sending inspiring messages advocating for getting the film finished. Coming Out is the first feature-length documentary to depict the entire process of coming out from childhood to adulthood, allowing the audience to watch everything unfold on cam- era.